This is a 10 yr old box.. never an issue with it. As said, it is in the garage and on the way out the door to my truck so it just holds truck drinks and some over flow during holidays. Well, OK... maybe a few beers too.. :D

The CAPT-032S holds about 4 oz of liquid. The exit end is pointed straight down so there is a liquid seal at the cap tube. With the spun drier the data tag said 5.25 oz 134. When the new compressor stopped working (heat) I knew that the charge was wrong or the spun drier was plugged or maybe the beginning of the cap tube. Pressures were -10 and 80 high.

I pulled the spun off and clipped the first inch of the cap tube entrance end. I also blew nitrogen through the system and put a paper towel at the cap tube open end... I did get a little oil but no gunk. Remember, I also did an acid test that was negative.

Installed the CAPT and pulled a vacuum. My micron meter stops at 400 microns, it is just old like me. It sat over night until I could get back to it the next day... still 400 microns.

Set everything up and weighed in 5.25 after filling the hose first. Started the system and it headed south on the suction side again. I came back to the garage a few hours later and it was still running. Once again I was down to -10 suction. Knowing the CAPT takes extra liquid I added another 3.75 oz. That's when I got 9 pounds. The compressor was cooling back but no frost so I let it run.

After I started this thread I took another look to pull a cow fart of gas out. I had 0 and 110 with slight frost. I pulled a 4' hose amount of 134 out of the high side. This was mostly liquid and about an oz. After I fired it up and let it run for a while, (still close temp), and had -8 and 100. There was no frost on the suction line seen but I did hear the the return of Orville popping corn and not as loud or frequent.

After it running since my last post the box doesn't seem to run as long and the pop corn sound is gone. The box is holding temp fine but I really haven't spent a lot of time in the garage since.

I'll keep checking it and listening but unless Orville comes back from the grave I'll probably leave well enough alone.

I'll let you guys know more later. :cheers:

11-30-2012, 09:08 PM

MicahWes

I had an old fridge with a knocking noise where the cap tube entered the evap. I put a giant wad of permagum around the connection and the noise was gone.

02-26-2014, 09:33 PM

Apprenticanic

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dad

This is a 10 yr old box.. never an issue with it. As said, it is in the garage and on the way out the door to my truck so it just holds truck drinks and some over flow during holidays. Well, OK... maybe a few beers too.. :D

The CAPT-032S holds about 4 oz of liquid. The exit end is pointed straight down so there is a liquid seal at the cap tube. With the spun drier the data tag said 5.25 oz 134. When the new compressor stopped working (heat) I knew that the charge was wrong or the spun drier was plugged or maybe the beginning of the cap tube. Pressures were -10 and 80 high.

I pulled the spun off and clipped the first inch of the cap tube entrance end. I also blew nitrogen through the system and put a paper towel at the cap tube open end... I did get a little oil but no gunk. Remember, I also did an acid test that was negative.

Installed the CAPT and pulled a vacuum. My micron meter stops at 400 microns, it is just old like me. It sat over night until I could get back to it the next day... still 400 microns.

Set everything up and weighed in 5.25 after filling the hose first. Started the system and it headed south on the suction side again. I came back to the garage a few hours later and it was still running. Once again I was down to -10 suction. Knowing the CAPT takes extra liquid I added another 3.75 oz. That's when I got 9 pounds. The compressor was cooling back but no frost so I let it run.

After I started this thread I took another look to pull a cow fart of gas out. I had 0 and 110 with slight frost. I pulled a 4' hose amount of 134 out of the high side. This was mostly liquid and about an oz. After I fired it up and let it run for a while, (still close temp), and had -8 and 100. There was no frost on the suction line seen but I did hear the the return of Orville popping corn and not as loud or frequent.

After it running since my last post the box doesn't seem to run as long and the pop corn sound is gone. The box is holding temp fine but I really haven't spent a lot of time in the garage since.

I'll keep checking it and listening but unless Orville comes back from the grave I'll probably leave well enough alone.

I'll let you guys know more later. :cheers:

How has it been running since this dated post, Dad? Still chugging along? No more Orville?? Did you ever try putting in nitro as per the MFG bulletin? Just curious if you or anyone ever tried and successfully done this to rid an issue. First time hearing/reading about it. Seems very counter-intuitive.

02-26-2014, 11:00 PM

Dad

No Nitro integration. I buttoned it up and am sitting back in the EZ Chair with a can of red paint.

The box continues to chug right along holding temp. It still makes weird noises but so do I... nothing to lose right?

During the winter the chattering is gone replaced with compressor crank up creaks & shutdown knocks. We'll see when the weather warms up again.

(The red paint is for the target circle and a fun day at the pistol range)

02-27-2014, 10:32 PM

hewitt

Set the evaporator temp at 0 therefore your box temp will be at 20 degrees if there is no label to distinguish amount of charge.

02-28-2014, 07:41 PM

nchvac

Quote:

Originally Posted by hewitt

Set the evaporator temp at 0 therefore your box temp will be at 20 degrees if there is no label to distinguish amount of charge.

Why would he want the box temp at 20? This is a side by side residential refrigerator, so the evap coil is in the freezer section, which he will want that side to be at around 0, so the evap coil needs to be around -10 to -15

02-28-2014, 08:15 PM

hewitt

With 134a-10 to-20 would be operating in a vaccum

02-28-2014, 10:21 PM

jpsmith1cm

Quote:

Originally Posted by hewitt

With 134a-10 to-20 would be operating in a vaccum

Still gotta make temp...

I would return a freezer that wouldn't hold but 20 degrees.

02-28-2014, 10:36 PM

CFESAmasterEGSR

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsmith1cm

Still gotta make temp...

I would return a freezer that wouldn't hold but 20 degrees.

Yes

How cold does boxed ice cream have to be to be froze hard? 0 or below in my experience.

I did residential appliances for a few years, seems like a unit that settled in running much over 5 psi on the low side was usually a bad sign. They would cycle down into a vacuum at end of on cycle. That was normal I think.

Weird little systems, very starved evaps. And factory suggested charging procedures that would scare most of you guys. Lol

03-01-2014, 03:01 AM

hewitt

Check the temperature at wal-mart on box of the thermometer when u by your ice cream. I set evap.at o on gauges for packeged ice which holds box temp of 15 to 20

03-01-2014, 10:24 AM

CFESAmasterEGSR

Quote:

Originally Posted by hewitt

Check the temperature at wal-mart on box of the thermometer when u by your ice cream. I set evap.at o on gauges for packeged ice which holds box temp of 15 to 20

Ice? Or ice cream?

15 deg is about the temp soft serve ice cream (around 45% overrun) is dispensed at. Soft serve is extra soft at 20 deg. At zero degrees it is hard as a rock.

Commercially packaged ice cream (around 100% overrun) is nearly melted to all liquid at 20 degrees. At zero degrees it is at it's properly frozen thickness, not rock hard.